The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-16
,MBs OF WHITE MARBLE.
Of tho Dead Discovered at
Sidon, Syria.

d O4lN' -D~'eN~N 49,
Sidon, Syria.
Won, the Washington Post.
erday the State Department received
hard Bissiuger, United States Con-
koirut. the following interesting and
nj dispatch concerning romarka-
kovery inst raado in Sidon, now called
citv of about 1000 inhabitants, on
.s,,3 shore of the Mediterranean,
six miles south of Beirut. He says
is tie scene of unusual agitation,
Ia most important discovery. The
kh continues:
Mot of land about mile northeast
civ perpendicular shaft, about
keet square by thirty-tivo TO forty
aen was accidentally discovered,
n when cleared of earth, disclosed four
heading into as many chambers in
nm TO the present time, sixteen beau
rcnnbagi, all i'll remarkable state Of
[ation have been found. Although
Id been rified of their contents, prob
n very remote period, the depre-
Il contented themselves with knock
Hole in some convenient corner of the
.bopi large enough to enable them to
their precious valuables without
|tting any other acts of vandalism, as
iraIlV the case with decorators of an
&pmbs and monuments.
sarcophagi so far uneorthed are all
finest white marble and highly pol
saye one, which is of very fine
of black marble with peak-shaped
very little ornament. While some
Gte plain, others are most deliberately
Fed with ornamental sculptured work,
in some instances, is painted. They
Stly belong to one and the same
or rather to the same order of high
HI art. and are marvels of perfection
7Drk1nanship. One, however, may I'M
Sdly Law claim to even still greater
5ity. and most probably belongs to
han be called the Egypto-Phoenician
Il Sarcophagi, of which many fine
lens are eXtant.
[rFUL TYPES OF ANCIENT SCULPTURE.
proughly conlpetent.and reliable eye
|ses give the following particulars re-
Sg the beautiful sculptured work Of
Ebre deliberately ornamented sarcoph-
3bich may not be devoid of interest.
I the sarcophagi is II feet long, 5 feet
hid II feet high, the body being of one
las is also the cover. The top is a
&arch of shining marble, and the front
&ck are divided by a line into two
4 On the four sides are four projec-
Eitb lions heads. On each panel is a
6lical figure with the body of an ami
Ia the head of an eagle with uplifted
II Below, on the front and beneath
fcornice. are two centaurs trampling
Marion armed with shield.
the sides, which are alike, are two
"a figures, with four spirited horses
Eof them; beneath the horses feet are
Lon the one side and boar (hyena9 on
her: besides these there are two other
-. with four more horses; at the back
ssupper part are also figures, bodies of
with extended wings. Below are two
hrs, carrying a captured stag between
II the cloal1s falling from their Shout
Eve lions heads in the corners. One
Ii carries the branch of a tree like a
Eic arrow upon his shoulders. Below
figures all around is band of figures
slnall, but exquisitely carved, repre-
Il hunting scenes, etc. a hole has been
d in this sarcophagus, through which
&tents had been distracted, and some
were broken, but i'll general it
y remarkable state of preservation.
81 are three skeletons and three dogs
EMpLE OF TRANSLUCENT MARBLE.
be OF the finest of the sixteen sarcoph-
#far excavated is in the form of a
4 temple of the purest marble and
lucent like alabaster. 1t has a slanting
|nd is Sculptared in imitation of fiat
with strips of metal covering the
and handsomely carved knobs where
Strips cross the ridge. At the ends of
are also carved ornaments. The
bf the sarcophagus rise up above the
On the upper projection is a repre-
zion OF a funeral procession, with
hing women, two horses without sad
but with men walking beside them;
BIT with four horses. with man inside
/ and four horses drawing the funeral
followed by more figures. III front are
figures and three on strip, all sym
ing grief. This top is of one piece,
|the right upper corner broken open for
purpose of rifing its precious contents.
BEAUTIFUh sTATUETTEs.
but the great beauty of this sarcopha-
+ its body, which, as already stated, is
form Of temple, with a range of
pms running all around it, between
d stand eighteen statuettes, each about
feet in height, not discolored by time
Falnished, but as beautiful as if Just
the hands of the artist, and of finished
Emanship. Each one of these statuettes
gem, and in perfect state of preserva-
The work on this sarcophagus--cor-
friezeS, columns, etc.-iS simply per-
On the lower part of it is a band,
representations of hunting scenes,
pms, dogs heads, mourners, etc, and
e the band thirty human figures, all OF
VelOuS beauty.
A MAGNIFICENT TOMB.
tut the sarcophaguS that eXcels all
rs is one found in a room with three
rs, Of white marble with gable roofs
more or less ornamentation. 1t is IL
long, 5 feet wide and / feet high,
lothing more perfect in the art of
'ture can possibly be imagined; the
-es5 OF ornamentation, force of the pas
depicted, the variety of costumes, the
ness OF the painting Of the costumes
The great number of subjects repre-
d. all are simply marvellous.
he principal scenes depicted are bat
Nth two distinct classes of warriors
9Ts with casques (helmets), tunics,
res and short swords, some with flow
o6es painted red; tunics and eyes are
ed blue, and most of them are mounted
rises. The other class has a peculiar
gear, peaked cap with tassels and
wrapped around the sides of the head
cross the face below the nose.
ED WITH sCULPTURED ORNAMENTS.
ne upper portion of the sarcophagus is
q with sculptured ornaments. -Four
llul lions are on the corners. The tiles
lot fiat, but covered aud followed
what in the nature of leaves. The line
base OF the slope has human heads ON
intervals, surrounded by leaves, from
| which they seem to peer; below on
llge OF the caves is a row of stags' heads
norns. On the main body of the sar-
gus is a row filled with geometric
$, and below thnea ic q raoa1in0 cot.-